Disinterest in playing with other kids

[Anonymous]

5 yr old was shy to begin with. Now we just started doing park play dates to see other kids and he has zero interest in interacting with his friends. Is this normal (pandemic normal)? Ideas to reintegrate with society / other kids?

[Anonymous]

I think it's normal, especially for a shy kid. Give him time and don't pressure him.

[Anonymous]

It's normal. It's easier.

Idea - kicking a soccer ball back and forth. There's an object to focus on and your kid is physically not close to the other kid.

Have your kid kick a soccer ball with you a few times to get used to it first.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:5 yr old was shy to begin with. Now we just started doing park play dates to see other kids and he has zero interest in interacting with his friends. Is this normal (pandemic normal)? Ideas to reintegrate with society / other kids?

If your kid is an introvert (which is different than being shy), it’s normal. Kids like these are actually happier spending lots of time alone, punctuated by small intervals of friend interactions, mainly with just one or two other kids (I’d recommend one, because at your kids age, because you don’t want a scenario where the other kids play together and your kid gets left out), not a large group. The pandemic isolation has probably set young kids back a bit socially, so it may take your child some extra time to readjust. He may be perfectly content to be around other kids but not actually interact. Try to be patient, and take cues from your son without projecting onto him what you think his social life should look like. I have a teen introvert and wish that I had learned this early on.

[Anonymous]

Better.